The Women
by writingwhimseys
Summary: Of course, you hear all about the men of the Avengers team- their physical strength, bravery, and skill. But what about the ladies they left behind in their conquests or work beside in the quest for justice? This is a snippet of the female point of view. Rated T, various parings mostly romantic.
1. Peggy: Only The Brave Come Back

Disclaimer: I don't own or am affiliated with the Avengers enterprise, name, any of the characters, or with the Marvel enterprise. Although I'd love to call dibs on Hawkeye... Oh well.

*No stealing stories, thanks.*

A/N: I've been kinda writing little diddies for all the Avengers' women. So far, this includes Black Widow, Peggy Carter, and Jane Foster. It's become a little mini story project, I suppose. Each one is about the woman's take on her 'man,' and the Avengers in general. Peggy's POV is the first chapter- Jane will be next, and if you're interested in Miss Romanoff, check out my separate story, "Bitter." Enjoy!

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It had been exactly three weeks. She'd been counting. Three weeks since she last saw him, flying out of the hangar, trying to save the world. He'd succeeded; the world was safe at last. There was still work being done to clean up the mess Hydra had left behind. But, thanks to him, it was almost over. He'd protected her too, one time or another. Of course, it didn't make a ton of a difference at this point. He was still gone. There was nothing she could do about it. She could send out a hundred search parties and demand more rescuers be summoned, but they'd all come back with nothing. It was as if he'd vanished from the surface of the earth.

It was said that Stark- the man with all the machines and mechanical toys that Americans so loved- had found the Hydra's source of power, deep in the sea. Its unearthly blue glow led his crew, on their own search, to spot it. Yet they could not track the plane it fell from either. It seemed strange- to her, at least, with the determination she was known for- that even Stark couldn't find him. Maybe the man really had disappeared. She held on to the hope that he hadn't.

In any case, she kept her head high. She knew him quite well, she thought- the unlikely American soldier, given one final chance to prove he was more than a weak body with a sad reputation. She remembered his promise to her as, hundreds of miles away, his plane dropped from the sky. Only the brave come back, but he had plenty of courage. If she was right, he'd return somehow. So, she remained intact. When someone asked her how she was, she lied. Her face was straight and stern, like always. And underneath the mask, she stayed calm. She trusted him- and the God they both believed in- now more than ever. Someday, she'd get that dance.


	2. Jane: If She Read The Map

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, or Marvel... Yadda yadda. You know the drill.

*No stealing stories, thanks.*

A/N: Yay for not procrastinating! Glad to get this uploaded. This chapter's about Jane and takes place after 'Thor' and during 'The Avengers.' The next chapter will feature the lovely Ms. Pepper Potts. Reviews/comments/tips are always appreciated- I love to hear what you guys think! Cheers!

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As the winter sun set, Jane looked out the giant window of the white-walled observatory from her desk. When the director of the Tromso Planetarium of Astroscience called her and offered her a position at their location, her jaw had nearly dropped. She had no clue why they'd asked her- a young astrophysicist from the States who very few people had heard of- to work for them so out of the blue. Along with that, Jane was weary of how obviously far away it was from New Mexico- a different continent, in fact. The chance to work overseas in a fully equipped observatory was no joke. But Darcy's insistence had eventually convinced her. It was only a temporary position, she was sure. And, once in Norway, she found she was not disappointed. The founders had certainly chosen a good spot to watch the stars from. High on the hills surrounding the city, the planetarium and observatory had a stunning view of the Tromsoya and the pale northern sky.

Turning back to her work at hand, Jane spread out the complex star maps in front of her. As her eyes roved their complex constellations and galaxies, her mind flew back to a conversation she'd had many weeks ago under the cover of night with a "traveler" of sorts. Their discussion of planetary alignments was short, but the idea he introduced to her in the short time they'd had had lingered in her mind. And since then, as certain things came to light and the traveler had returned from his journey, so to speak, his words were burned in her mind even darker. Her great hope was that, someday, his words may prove true and she might be able to find him again, though the odds were against her. Then, as luck would have it, she ended up in Norway. Although she would never admit it outright, she felt closer than ever to the person she was searching for, being in his homeland.

Jane sighed as she thought of him, the mysterious man who'd come out of nowhere that night- quite literally. It had been so abrupt and strange that at that moment, she'd been afraid. And when she found out the truth, she was still scared. But as she and her friends- the three who had first discovered his secret- came to the realization of what he was and the scope of what was happening, they acted. And somehow, it worked. Knowing that you'd had a part, however small, in the saving of the universe was a good feeling. And although the man, now a friend, had to leave, Jane supposed it was a small price to pay. This didn't mean she would stop looking. It just meant it was up to her to find him first.

Outside, the sun cast its final copper rays over the pale city and, as it disappeared behind the mountains, the sky began to sparkle faintly with the evening appearance of the stars. Jane smiled as, glancing out the window, she could already pick out some of the brighter constellations. Cassiopeia, Gemini, the well-known Ursa Major… She could almost feel them shining down on the world, as she watched their light twinkle through the atmosphere. Getting up from the desk, Jane rearranged her map and approached the giant telescope in the middle of the room. Night had come; it was time to get to work. And she knew that, although she had a ways to go with her research before she'd yield any substantial result, the stars wouldn't let her down. For centuries, they had led people with the patience to watch and study them where they needed to go. If she read the map right, they'd lead back to him as well.


End file.
